Legal News 07/2016

Andre Cury, the Barca board's representative in Brazil who helped negotiate the controversial 2013 transfer from Santos, told Globoesporte that Motta's tweet was "idiotic," as the lawyer could not know all the details of the contracts of other players ...(Jul 1, 2016, ESPN FC)

Willie Kimani: Missing Kenyan lawyer found dead

The body of a Kenyan lawyer who was representing a client making a complaint against the police has been found. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said it was a "dark day for the rule of law in Kenya". Kenya's police have often been accused of brutality ...(Jul 1, 2016, BBC News)

'Serial' Subject Adnan Syed Might Fight for Bail, Lawyer Says

"Serial" podcast subject Adnan Syed, whose 2000 murder conviction was vacated Thursday, should be granted bail because he is neither a flight risk nor a danger to anyone, his lawyer told ABC News today. "We are just starting to look into that and I ...(Jul 1, 2016, ABC News)

The Charge Of The Lawyer Brigade

Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link's team of expert contributors. Michael Allen is Managing Principal at Lateral Link, focusing exclusively on partner placements with Am Law 200 clients and placements for in ...(Jul 1, 2016, Above the Law)

Lawyer: Woman Required to Tell Cosby She Was Talking to Cops

Bill Cosby's lawyers say the accuser in his criminal case had to tell him she was going to talk to police under terms of their confidential civil settlement. Cosby asked a federal judge in Philadelphia on Friday to void the 2005 settlement and order ...(Jul 1, 2016, ABC News)

Lawyer: Woman required to tell Cosby she was talking to cops

PHILADELPHIA — Bill Cosby's lawyers argued on Friday that a woman accusing him of sexual assault had to notify him before she spoke to police last year under the terms of their confidential civil settlement. Cosby wants a federal judge in Philadelphia ...(Jul 1, 2016, Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Lawyer: Proposed Sentence for Convicted Speaker 'Absurd'

A lawyer for former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard says prosecutors are seeking a "ridiculously extreme" prison sentence after his conviction on ethics charges. Defense lawyer Bill Baxley said Friday that the 18-year sentence prosecutors want is ...(Jul 1, 2016, ABC News)

Lawyer: Proposed sentence for convicted speaker 'absurd'

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A lawyer for former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard says prosecutors are seeking a “ridiculously extreme” prison sentence after his conviction on ethics charges. Defense lawyer Bill Baxley said Friday that the 18-year ...(Jul 1, 2016, The Seattle Times)

Litigation finance firm sues IP lawyer Ray Niro

An English litigation financier is suing well-known intellectual property lawyer Ray Niro in federal court for more than $450,000, a move the Chicago attorney calls “ridiculous.” The firm, 1st Class Legal, says it hasn't been fully paid on $3.5 million ...(Jul 1, 2016, Crain's Chicago Business)

Cosby's lawyer argues sex assault accuser should repay settlement

PHILADELPHIA — Bill Cosby's lawyers argued on Friday that a woman accusing him of sexual assault had to notify him before she spoke to police last year under the terms of their confidential civil settlement. Cosby wants a federal judge in Philadelphia ...(Jul 1, 2016, New York Daily News)

Lawyer in Led Zeppelin-Spirit trial suspended for 'serious misconduct' in earlier case

The lawyer who failed to persuade a Los Angeles jury in June that Led Zeppelin stole the introduction of “Stairway to Heaven” from an earlier song by L.A. rock band Spirit has been suspended from practicing law. He was cited for “serious misconduct ...(Jul 2, 2016, Los Angeles Times)

Hulk Hogan Lawyer Continues Offensive Against Gawker With Two New Clients

On Friday, Gawker revealed that the Los Angeles lawyer is continuing his offensive and is representing at least two more clients in demands against the company. In both instances, Harder, a founding partner at Harder Mirell & Abrams, sent letters ...(Jul 2, 2016, Forbes)

Lawyer wants man's catheter-obtained urine sample dismissed

Ryan Kolbeck, a Sioux Falls lawyer and president of the South Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said he doesn't know what state law would permit the use of catheters to obtain a urine sample. He said the procedure should not be used in ...(Jul 2, 2016, Sioux City Journal)

Homer Glen lawyer-turned-defendant thrown out of courtroom for talking

Gold-Smith has previously told Rozak as "a real jailhouse lawyer" he often discusses cases with other inmates from the Will County jail. On Friday, Gold-Smith was seated in the jury box with other inmates when bailiff Cheryl Ferguson reminded him that ...(Jul 2, 2016, The Herald-News)

Jeralyn Lawrence elected secretary of national lawyer group

Jeralyn L. Lawrence, a member of Bridgewater-based law firm Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, has been elected secretary of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). Currently on the academy's Board of Managers, she ...(Jul 2, 2016, MyCentralJersey.com)

A former lawyer who's been running a business remotely for 8 years shares her favorite tools for working on the road

Spotty wifi, noisy cafes, and constantly changing time zones are all par for the course. But these stumbling blocks haven't stopped Jodi Ettenberg, a former corporate lawyer who left the legal profession to travel in 2008, from working while roaming ...(Jul 2, 2016, Business Insider)

Stamford lawyer takes another shot at literary success

The Stamford writer is hoping that the buzz surrounding her new novel, “All Is Not Forgotten” (St. Martin's Press, $21.31), might mean that her days of juggling a writing dream with a career as a lawyer are numbered. The psychological thriller, which ...(Jul 3, 2016, CT Post)

Murder case lawyer says rights violated

A Carroll County Sheriff 's Office deputy questioned Christopher Kevin Butler before reading him his Miranda rights, and later investigators kept questioning Butler after he requested a lawyer, according to a motion filed Friday in Carroll County ...(Jul 3, 2016, Northwest Arkansas News)

Kenya: Execution of Lawyer, 2 Others - What We Know So Far

Nairobi — Three police officers arrested over the disappearance of a lawyer, his client and a taxi driver will now face murder charges after bodies of the three victims were found dumped in a river in Kilimambogo. Inspector General of Police Joseph ...(Jul 3, 2016, AllAfrica.com)

Kenya: Investigate Killings of Lawyer, Two Men

(Nairobi) – Kenyan authorities must urgently investigate the killing last week of three men, including a human rights lawyer, and ensure that those found responsible are held to account in fair trials, 34 Kenyan and international human rights ...(Jul 4, 2016, Human Rights Watch)

Donald Jelinek, Lawyer for Attica Prisoners, Dies at 82

Mr. Jelinek was at a law firm in 1965 when he volunteered to work during the summer for the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee of the American Civil Liberties Union, representing mostly workers from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, ...(Jul 4, 2016, New York Times)

Bet you can't wait to play a foolish foreign lawyer in the latest Phoenix Wright game

In the distant land of definitely-not-Tibet, Phoenix Wright must contend with a legal system in which the psychic abilities give the dead a chance to testify, and people call him “foolish foreign lawyer”. (That sounds a lot better in Japanese than it ...(Jul 4, 2016, VG247)

Lawyer wants man's catheter-obtained urine sample dismissed

Ryan Kolbeck, a Sioux Falls lawyer and president of the South Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said he doesn't know what state law would permit the use of catheters to obtain a urine sample. He said the procedure should not be used in ...(Jul 4, 2016, Daily Republic)

Wind Industry Lawyer: Brexit Could Help us Kill More Birds and Bats…

Good news for bird-haters and bat-loathers. A lawyer working for the wind industry says there may, after all, be a silver lining to the Brexit vote: apparently, once Britain is independent, we'll be freed of all those pesky EU regulations designed to ...(Jul 4, 2016, Breitbart News)

CAMDEN, Maine — The attorney for the alleged victim in the domestic violence assault case against renowned singer/songwriter Don McLean is asking the court to penalize McLean for what her lawyer said is an attempt to intimidate his client. Attorney ...(Jul 4, 2016, Bangor Daily News)

Atlantic Beach attorney disbarred and Jacksonville lawyer suspended

Two local attorneys are among the 16 Florida lawyers disciplined by the Supreme Court, the Florida Bar announced last week. The Supreme Court hands down discipline after the Florida Bar investigates complaints against lawyers. The most round of cases ...(Jul 4, 2016, Jacksonville Business Journal (blog))

Gingrich, Christie vetted as top VP picks by lawyer who vetted Palin

They are being vetted by the same lawyer who vetted Sarah Palin in 2008, attorney Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., The Washington Post reports. Gingrich is said to be the campaign's first choice, with Christie a close second. Culvahouse, a former White House ...(Jul 4, 2016, LGBTQ Nation)

Willie Kimani protests A protester smears her hands with mock blood during a protest against the death of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and their driver in Nairobi, Kenya, July 4. Lawyers have boycotted the courts in protest at Kimani's ...(Jul 4, 2016, Newsweek)

Blackshear city judge resigns after lawyer claims to have tape of judge using racial slurs

Futch, 56, who still holds his elected post of Bacon County State Court Judge, found himself at odds last month with lawyer John Thigpen Jr. The attorney was offering free legal representation to people cited by the Blackshear Police Department ...(Jul 4, 2016, Florida Times-Union)

Pro bono spotlight: Dozens get legal advice at June Ask-A-Lawyer

Ask-A-Lawyer has been one of the many services offered each year. Nonprofits provide information on ways they offer assistance in the community, a live band plays, health screenings are offered, volunteers distribute groceries to families and attendees ...(Jul 4, 2016, Jacksonville Daily Record)

Disbarred Dickie Scruggs called world's richest lawyer

The national digital publication Money Inc.says disbarred Mississippi lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs is the richest current or former attorney in the world with $1.7 billion. Nat Berman of New York, author of the article, said Scruggs is best known ...(Jul 4, 2016, Jackson Clarion Ledger)

A “TANK chaser” lawyer accused of smearing UK troops has won a fight to keep a tribunal he faces secret. Despite hauling soldiers through repeated traumatic probes to win compensation cash, Phil Shiner successfully argued he is too unwell for an ...(Jul 4, 2016, The Sun)

Don Jelinek, leftist lawyer and former Berkeley councilman, dies

“Representing the black farmer was a shock for a Wall Street lawyer accustomed to impersonal, professional relationships timed to the quarter hour,” Mr. Jelinek later told an interviewer. “If Paul Revere had tried to warn black Mississippi, I thought ...(Jul 4, 2016, SFGate)

Ponca lawyer helps tribes win massive water settlements

Brossy has focused on helping tribes gain passage of water settlements within Congress and recently helped a Montana tribe gain passage of a $460 million settlement with the federal government. She recently was named one of the Top 40 Lawyers Under ...(Jul 5, 2016, Lincoln Journal Star)

Idemitsu, founding family set date for talks on Showa Shell deal: lawyer

The family has said it sees no chance of compromise on the issue, and the meeting next Monday afternoon in Tokyo - the first since Shosuke Idemitsu voiced opposition publicly through his lawyer - was arranged at the request of Idemitsu Kosan, the ...(Jul 5, 2016, Reuters)

Egyptian Hijacker's Lawyer Seeks Human Rights Expert

The lawyer for an Egyptian hijacker fighting his extradition has been given 17 days by a Cypriot court to seek out a human rights expert who could support Seif Eddin Mustafa's argument that being sent back could put his life at risk. Judge Dona ...(Jul 5, 2016, ABC News)

During Guice's initial call to Malofiy, the lawyer explained that he represented the plaintiff, Guice didn't need to talk to him, and Guice was the defendant, according to the factual findings. Malofiy didn't explain that Guice's status as a defendant ...(Jul 5, 2016, ABA Journal)

Lawyer Wins $10 Million Dressed in a Chicken Suit

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (CN) — A former high school student who was mobbed at a pep rally while wearing a chicken suit was awarded $10.5 million in his lawsuit against a Southern California school district. Kern High School District agreed to pay $10.5 ...(Jul 5, 2016, Courthouse News Service)

Google Asks to Punish Oracle Lawyer Who Spilled Apple Secrets

It's pretty rare for courts to sanction lawyers for violating a protective order, but such examples are not unprecedented. Google is relying on a federal rule, and it is calling for Alsup to fine Hurst and Oracle for civil contempt of court. Such fines ...(Jul 5, 2016, Fortune)

RJ Bell, the “Vegas oddsmaker” in charge of the sports betting website Pregame.com, and subject of a lengthy investigation by Ryan Goldberg on Gawker's sister website Deadspin, has enlisted Charles J. Harder—the same lawyer who has threatened ...(Jul 5, 2016, Gawker)

Lawyer to Vatican Court: Client Not Likable, but Not Guilty

The lawyer for a woman at the heart of a trial over leaks from the Vatican said Tuesday her client may not be likable, but that she shouldn't be convicted just because she's "unpleasant, insufferable, arrogant and presumptuous." Lawyers for the five ...(Jul 5, 2016, ABC News)

Country club's lawyer sides with rogue staffer to help union: suit

A Westchester country club says the attorney it hired to handle disputes with staff instead sided with a rogue bartender who harassed club members — all to curry favor with the worker's union over a side deal. The Westchester Golf Club in White Plains ...(Jul 5, 2016, New York Post)

MARTINEZ -- In a sharp rebuttal to claims that county officials were indirectly responsible for the stabbing death of 9-year-old Jordon Almgren, a Contra Costa County lawyer accused the Almgren family's attorney of distorting the truth and argued that ...(Jul 5, 2016, East Bay Times)

July 5, 2016 (GIN) – Four police officers have been arrested in the torture/murder of a noted Kenyan human rights lawyer and two other men. The Law Society of Kenya called it “a dark day for the rule of law” and a countrywide boycott of the courts has ...(Jul 6, 2016, Wilmington Journal)

Judge: 22 BP fraud charges against lawyer duplicate others

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — The 95-count fraud indictment against a San Antonio lawyer and six co-defendants could be shorter when trial begins in Mississippi on federal charges accusing them of inflating a client list for BP oil spill litigation. Twenty ...(Jul 6, 2016, The Seattle Times)

Richmond: WCCUSD retaliated against special needs boy, lawyer says

RICHMOND -- The lawyer for a special needs high school student who recently sued West Contra Costa Unified School District over claims of ongoing sexual abuse now says district officials retaliated by denying the teen's application to continue ...(Jul 6, 2016, East Bay Times)

22 BP fraud charges against lawyer duplicate others: judge

GULFPORT, Miss. — The 95-count fraud indictment against a San Antonio lawyer and six co-defendants could be shorter when trial begins in Mississippi on federal charges accusing them of inflating a client list for BP oil spill litigation. Twenty-two ...(Jul 6, 2016, NOLA.com)

Ask the Lawyer: If a falling tree branch injures me, who is responsible?

Ron Sokol is a Manhattan Beach attorney with more than 30 years of experience. His column appears on Wednesdays. Email questions and comments to him at [email protected] or write to him at Ask the Lawyer, Daily Breeze, 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., ...(Jul 6, 2016, The Daily Breeze)

Lawyer loses license over failed Maxim loan scam

A former lawyer at the white-shoe firm Bryan Cave was stripped of his license Tuesday for his role in an elaborate scam involving the failed purchase of Maxim magazine. A Manhattan appeals court says Harvey Newkirk's recent conviction for wire fraud ...(Jul 6, 2016, New York Post)